Letters
by Kinkaju
Summary: Zuko runs away for the second time, and leaves Mai another letter. Darkfic. Maiko, Zutara.


The room felt musty, as though it hadn't been occupied in a long time.

She knew that wasn't the case though. He had just left recently. Last night, in fact, according to the crumpled letter left on the floor at the foot of his bed.

She stared numbly at the words in front of her.

 _Dear Mai,_

 _I'm sorry you have to find out this way, again. But I'm leaving again._

 _I should have looked you in the eye this time, I know. But I didn't want to see you hurt._

 _I have a confession to make: I was seeing another girl for a while. It started some time after I ran away the first time. I ended it once you and I got back together._

 _It wasn't serious. I thought it was done with now. But I was wrong. She's obsessed with me. She won't leave me alone. And she's dangerous._

 _I can't handle it anymore. I need some space to clear my head._

 _You made me promise to never break up with you again. I intend to keep that promise. This isn't a goodbye, just a temporary break._

 _Once everything settles down, I promise I'll return._

 _I'm sorry again. I hope you will understand._

 _With love,_

 _Zuko_

* * *

Her vision clouded. She felt her eyes welling up.

 _So that's what you think? That's why you ran away?_ Her mind hissed.

The stale air of the room hit her harder. She stumbled out the door, ripping the letter to shreds as she walked.

Her thoughts grew angrier. _How could this happen to me? After everything we went through together, after I trusted you and you betrayed me the first time? How dare you do it again._

She stumbled through the hallways, not knowing or caring where she was going.

 _That other girl. She's to blame too. This wouldn't have happened, if not for her._

Her hands curled into fists and her entire body shook. Her mind though, was clear. _Well you know who she is. Go and teach her a lesson._

She spun on her heel and headed back the way she'd come without a second thought.

* * *

Upon reaching her destination, she hesitated. _She's dangerous._

Energy swirled within her, reminding her of her own power. _So are you. If you want him, you have to deal with her._

She opened the door slowly.

The room was almost completely black, lit only by the light of the full moon shining in weakly through the undrawn curtains. She glanced around warily as her eyes struggled to adjust, searching for any danger lurking in the shadows. A cold breeze blew in through the window, and her dislike for the unfamiliar thin clothes she had on grew stronger.

Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed a flash of silver sailing across the room towards her. It was the only warning she got.

She ducked.

Not quite fast enough.

The attack missed her neck but caught her across the forehead, splitting open her skin. Liquid trickled down her face. She didn't need to see it to know what it was.

 _There will be a scar._

Another flash of silver. She dove to one side, flinging herself behind the nearby bed. A dull thud indicated it had shielded her.

Her eyes managed to adjust to the darkness. A figure was faintly visible among the shadows. Between its long-nailed fingers it held a silver object.

Shadowed eyes locked with hers. The hand raised the silver object.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Her own hand flew forward.

The shadowy figure dropped to the floor.

She opened her eyes, let out a heavy breath, and stepped out of cover. Slowly she walked towards the window, keeping her attention firmly on the figure on the floor. Pale silver light washed over her. She beckoned with her hand, and her defeated enemy rolled across the floor to lie at her feet, eyes locked with hers.

She met the hateful stare with her own.

"I found his letter. Obviously you did too", she said flatly.

No reply. The person at her feet quivered madly, but didn't make a sound. Her fury increased further.

"It's all your fault he left! Your fault him and I aren't together now!", she hissed.

No reply. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists. Her anger faded slightly. The figure on the ground hissed sharply through barely parted lips and writhed, its body twisting in unnatural positions.

"But it's alright. It will be over soon. Everything will work out now."

The words of the letter sprung back into her mind.

 _Once everything settles down, I promise I'll return._

The sounds of bones popping and tendons twisting filled the air. Her fingers dug into her palms hard.

 _This isn't a goodbye, just a temporary break._

Several loud cracks. The distinct scrape of fingers raking across carpet. Faint gurgling noises, like trying to breathe with a throat blocked by liquid.

 _You made me promise to never break up with you again. I intend to keep that promise._

"He makes a lot of promises, doesn't he?"

Bloody eyes blinked weakly up at her.

"But he doesn't keep many."

A final loud crunch. The figure's neck tilted at an odd angle.

Katara stared down at it coldly.

"You're not getting between us again, Mai."

* * *

 **AN: Come on, you actually thought you'd get a fic that wasn't horrible in every way from _me_? Go home, you're drunk.**

 **In all seriousness, this is by far the most disturbing thing I've written yet. Someone asked me to write an ATLA fic involving yandere themes and I went all out. I may have made Katara OOC, but it would have been virtually impossible to write her as yandere without doing so.**

 **Besides that though, I'm quite pleased with this. If everyone is miserable, dead and/or scarred for life by the end of one of my fics, then my work is done.**

 **Please read and review.**


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